Miscellaneous. 255 
- The family of Dryophide has two representatives in Bahia, be- 
longing to the genus Dryophis—D. argentea and D. acuminata. 
The former is very scarce (I have seen only one specimen in Mr. 
€. M. Foppel’s collection), the latter very common, 
MISCELLANEOUS, 
On some small Pits with which the Scales of certain Ophidia are 
adorned. By J. RetnwArpt, 
Ir is about twelve years since, during his residence in Brazil, 
M. Reinhardt observed small whitish and brilliant points scattered 
over the body of the green snake, common in that country, to which 
Lichtenstein gave the name of Coluber Olfersii, and which Wagler 
has adopted as the type of his genus Philodryas. Careful examina- 
tion showed M. Reinhardt that each scale of this snake is furnished, 
elose to its posterior’ extremity, with a small depression or pit, of 
which the brilliancy is greater than that of the rest of the scale. 
These impressions cease at a little distance from the point of the tail. 
They are also wanting in the anterior part of the body, on the two 
tows of scales nearest to the ventral plates, and even, further back, 
on three or four ventral rows. At the root of the tail there are not 
more than six rows of scales furnished with pits; this number soon 
falls to three, and a few inches further on there are only two. 
When the epidermis is carefully removed from some of the scales 
furnished with pits, and examined with the lens, it is found that no 
opening exists corresponding with the pits. The epidermis is only 
very delicate at this point, and as transparent as glass. Nor is any 
aperture to be found in the pit of the cutis, and consequently there 
is no canal or cavity leading into the interior of the scale. 
M. Reinhardt was naturally led to compare other Ophidia with * 
the Philodryas with regard to this peculiarity. Amongst 191 spe- 
cies examined up to this time, he has found pits in 106. The 
frequency of these little depressions is undoubtedly still greater than 
might be assumed from the above numbers. In fact, M. Reinhardt 
has examined comparatively a greater number of species of groups 
not furnished with pits than of those which are provided with 
them. 
In many species the pits are as large as, or larger than, in Philo- 
dryas, and then they are easily recognizable by the naked eye. 
Often, likewise, they are smaller, and cannot well be distinguished 
except with the lens. Sometimes there is only one upon each scale, 
sometimes there are two. In the Ophidia with smooth scales, the 
species with one and those with two pits are nearly equal in number, 
In the Ophidia with keeled scales, the pits, when they exist, are 
almost always two in number on each scale, placed one on each side 
of the keel. Some species, however, have only one. 
The function of the pits is still unknown. va are not connected 
with any gland, and never constitute a sexual difference. They may 
18* 
